RAS question
Hoysala temple architecture is characterized by:
Correct answer: (C) Star-shaped plan and intricate soapstone (chlorite schist) carvings.
Hoysala temple architecture is characterised by a star-shaped plan or platform and intricate soapstone, also called chlorite schist, carvings.
Explanation
Hoysala temples are identified less by height or mass and more by plan, material, and sculptural finish. Their distinctive markers include a stellate, or star-shaped, plan, lathe-turned pillars, and exceptionally detailed carving on soft chlorite schist, commonly called soapstone. Karnataka Tourism identifies the same core features at Belur and Halebeedu: Hoysala craftsmanship through soapstone carvings, star-shaped platforms, and lifelike depictions of gods, animals, and everyday life. That is why option C is the best answer. It captures both the geometry of the temple layout and the surface treatment that makes Hoysala architecture instantly recognisable in art-history questions.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Cave temples do not match the Hoysala markers, which focus on a star-shaped plan, pillars, and carved soapstone surfaces rather than rock-cut cave spaces.
- (B) Tall gopurams are not the identifying feature for Hoysala architecture here; the signature is the star-shaped platform and dense soapstone carving.
- (D) Brick construction is contradicted by the material emphasis on chlorite schist and by Karnataka Tourism's description of Hoysala craftsmanship through soapstone carvings.
Concept
This tests medieval Indian temple-architecture identification through dynastic style markers: plan, material, and sculptural treatment. It recurs in RAS because art-and-culture MCQs often ask candidates to recognise a school from a few architectural clues.